'Nasty' Gosport fraudster committed 'grotesque breach of trust' over disabled lady left 'scared'

Martyn Styler, 38, left the disabled woman ‘scared’ of losing her home after plunging her into significant financial risk.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Styler, of Brewers Lane, Gosport, forged her signature on a lease agreement for IESKA Sports Club in the town, which he was director and owner of at the time.

This forgery resulted in the victim being put at risk of losing £24,000 relating to the annual rent charge of the business. She did not lose any money though.

The vulnerable victim had been recorded as a guarantor for the club but had ‘no knowledge’ of what that meant or the responsibilities.

Styler also forged the signature of a witness on the lease document, before submitting the paperwork on June 18, 2020.

This allowed him to continue running his business in order to obtain financial gain.

The victim of the guarantor fraud, in a statement read out to court, said: ‘When I found out what he did I was very shocked. I trusted him, I didn’t think he would do something like that. I was heartbroken.

‘I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t trust anyone and was scared of letters coming to my door and was scared I was going to lose my home. I couldn’t sleep.’

She went on to say it was a ‘horrible time and the worst year of my life’ before adding: ‘He abused me and disability. I don’t want him in my life anymore.’

His other victim said she was ‘scared’ her signature had been used on numerous occasions and described it as a ‘huge betrayal’.

‘It has hugely affected my life and relationships,’ she said, before revealing she now suffers with anxiety, depression and PTSD.

She added: ‘He’s a nasty piece of work.’

The court heard how Styler admitted to the witness he had forged her signature, along with that of his first victim.

He claimed he did so to 'save jobs' at the sports club.

The lease was forensically compared by an expert who determined that the signatures on the agreement differed from the genuine signatures of the victims.

The expert concluded there was strong evidence that neither of the victims had signed the lease agreement.

Judge, Recorder Simon Foster, called the frauds a ‘grotesque breach of trust’ that were ‘traumatic’ and had a ‘profound effect’.

Speaking of the impact on his deaf victim, he said: ‘You exposed her to a risk by which the nature of the circumstances she lives under is a horrible and dreadful thing to do.’

Styler was spared jail and handed a 12-month jail term suspended for two years.

He was also told to complete 10 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Styler must also pay his primary victim £2,000 for the distress caused and £1,000 to the other victim, and was told to cough up £1,000 costs.

These must be paid within 18 months.

SEE ALSO: Flasher avoids jail

Styler admitted to two counts of fraud by false representation.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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